Who are some of your tourney picks for sleepers, cinderellas, those primed to be upset
Hopefully this has not been made into a topic yet but I was wondering who you all had as some of your sleeper picks, a double digit seed who could make a run, or a high seed destined for an upset. That is if you don't mind sharing some of your knowledge with others.
I have Minnesota reaching the Sweet 16 because I think that UCLA/Pac 12 is overrated and Florida is a team so many people are in love with. I have Wisconsin reaching the Elite 8 since I think Gonzaga is garbage and Belmont over Zona' including others.
Where does everyone have Michigan, I want to pick them over Kansas so bad but I promised myself after the Indiana game that I would pick with my head and not my heart with this team after their inconsistent play of late.
I, as many others I'm sure, like the Ducks.
to go 1-1, but still.
Pitt will be in the Final Four.
Wichita State will handle them in the first round....
That ain't no guess. That's what it's gonna be.
Whatever you say, Vicki.
March 20th, 2013 at 11:19 AM ^
is simply horrific. I like the shockers here. I watched PITT two or three times this year - so sloppy. They can't be trusted one bit.
I really like St. Louis. I think they have a shot at taking down UL. I also like the Minnesota pick and the Ducks. I think the PAC10 in general is under-seeded.
March 20th, 2013 at 10:52 AM ^
My wife has the Hilltopers making a good run, because of this guy.
I have Memphis and UCLA losing and Iowa State over Notre Dame.
Memphis will be making the Sweet 16.
With their victory over Valpo
but valpo's going to make the elite 8.
a nice sentiment at heart tho :)
Mich beats IU and Duke in the FF to win it all!
I like Ole Miss beating Wisconsin. I was impressed by them after their win over Florida in the SEC tourney. Also wins by Oregon, Cal, Minnesota, Colorado and Cincinnati as far as lower seeds winning.
I wouldn't have picked Oregon or Cal in an 8/9 matchup so I'm certainly not picking them to beat a 5!
Oregon is legitimately good. I'm no expert, but I did watch ~800 hours of Pac10 basketball this season, and the team they're fielding now looks about as good as the team that was ranked #10 in the country in January. Most of that ranking was built on crushing the softest non-conference schedule in the tourney, but they still have quality wins against Arizona, UNLV, and UCLA (x2). I feel like they're a Sweet 16 team.
Feel free to throw your life savings in against Cal though. The UNLV team they're playing now is leagues better than the one that beat them on a buzzer beater in December. Also, we just lost consecutive games to Stanford and Utah. Not exactly coming in hot..
March 19th, 2013 at 10:10 PM ^
by 10 in the first game. Bank on it.
Valparaiso.
Other than them playing Sparty, I just like the name.
In 8th grade I played in a national basketball tournament at Valpo(lost to then 6'8 Cole Aldrich), since then I have followed their basketball team and will always root for them.
PREACH ON!
as a elite 8 team. Gonzaga to get upset by Pitt.
I have no basis for this
If it helps, several computer models think very highly of them.
New Mexico in the Final Four
South Dakota State will make the Elite Eight, book it.
I actually have ND to the FF, sacrilege I know.
When was the last time that they made the Sweet 16?
Also, when was the last time that a 7-seed or higher from a major conference made the final 4? I mean, you'll get your Butlers here and there, but they are always mid-majors that are underrated because they are mid-majors.
All the 16 seeds will be in the final four.
According to my six year old niece...
I haven't seen them mentioned yet, I have bucknell through to the sweet 16 beating butler and marquette. ...and I have Michigan beating KU, Florida, IU, and Duke.
Not an upset, but K-State takes out Wisconsin in the 3rd round. I think NC St. could take down Indiana.
As much as I wish I could get behind this, if you think Michigan had problems on defense, you should see NC State's "defense". Can't imagine the country's number one offense having problems with that.
Someone sent me a spreadsheet that will do simulated runs of the tournament - the last one I ran took Kansas State to the Final Four, Marquette in the Elight Eight after beating Miami, and Michigan State beating Duke. It postulated a Gerogetown / Louisville championship game as well, which concurs with no bracket I submitted to a pool, not even my Doom Bracket, which quite rightly has Middle Tennessee and James Madison in Atlanta on the 8th of April.
I feel like you eat, drink, and sleep spreadsheets.
Maybe even poop them, too.
Well, my coin flip bracket (requiring more consecutive like flips for larger seeding differences) has Kansas losing to W. Kentucky, and a final four of VCU, Butler, Duke and Ohio State, with Butler winning. Also, Missouri beating Louisville, Syracuse over Indy, and no 12 or 13 seeds winning. I suggest you all edit your brackets asap.
March 19th, 2013 at 10:42 PM ^
My coin flip bracket yielded a Final Four of Iona, Colorado, Akron, and Missouri. Iona defeated Colorado in the championship by a total of 94-83 via a random number generator. I'm heading to Vegas with these picks...
Unfortunately I have the Jackrabbits upsetting the Wolverines. Burke watching.
I think Minnesota has a real shot to make it to the Elite 8.
I believe Wisconsin would play Gonzaga, but if they win that game I think they're in the Elite 8 as well.
I have Cal beating UNLV (the game is in San Jose) and Davidson over Marquette. I also have Butler in the Elite 8 for no reason that I can rationally explain (I wanted to pick Bucknell in an upset prior to seeing their draw). Sadly, I also thought VCU would go far before Sunday and I think they could go through to the Elite 8 as well.
I don't see the Oregon upset like other people do. OSU is a really solid team. Oregon may be more of an 8/9 seed, but OSU earned that 5 and should still be favored.
Definitely like Belmont. And I also have the winner of MTSU/SMC beating Memphis. I think Memphis is awful.
I'd like to pick NC St or Pitt to win two games, but they are so inconsistent. Either one of them could pull it off, though.
March 19th, 2013 at 10:03 PM ^
Yeah, I think Memphis is awful too. I can't believe they lost (ONE!!!) of their last 25 games.
Nice, I also have Minnesota in the Sweet 16. Bucknell over Butler, Belmont over Zona.
Second round upsets: Creighton over Duke, Pitt over Gonzaga, Illinois over the U, Nova over Kansas.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned UNC at all. They enter the tournament playing some pretty good ball. Winners of 8 of their past 10 games. I can see them in a Sweet 16 matchup.
I don't know how to feel about Minnesota. They're more bipolar than Michigan. They have all of the pieces in place, but you never know if you are going to get the version of their team that lost to Northwestern and Nebraska, or the version that beat Michigan State and Indiana. I can see them getting blown out in the first round against UCLA, or reaching the Elite 8 after big wins over Florida and Georgetown. Eh.
March 19th, 2013 at 10:04 PM ^
I have UNC in the sweet 16 too.
March 19th, 2013 at 10:33 PM ^
As do I.
March 19th, 2013 at 10:25 PM ^
March 19th, 2013 at 10:23 PM ^
March 19th, 2013 at 11:03 PM ^
their seed indicates. St Louis in another region could be a final 4 team but the Midwest is too tough.
My finals four is Duke, OSU, Fla, Miami with a healthy and rested Duke beating Florida in the finals.
Over Marquette. This was my WSJ upset, so I'm going with it.